Mount Seymour

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Mount Seymour

View from First Pump Peak, one of Seymour's sub peaks.
Elevation 1,449 metres (4,754 feet)
Location British Columbia, Canada
Range Fannin Range
Prominence 453 m
Coordinates 49°23′N 122°56′WCoordinates: 49°23′N 122°56′W
Topo map NTS 92G/07
First ascent 1908 C. Chapman; B. Darling; W. Gray; G. Harrow; R. Mills
Mount Seymour Ski Area
Location:
British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city: Vancouver, 15 km (10 miles)
Coordinates: 49°19′17″N 122°57′26″W / 49.32139, -122.95722 (Mount Seymour Ski Area)Coordinates: 49°19′17″N 122°57′26″W / 49.32139, -122.95722 (Mount Seymour Ski Area)
Vertical: 330 m (1,083 ft)
Top elevation: 1265 m (4,150 ft)
Base elevation: 1023 m (3,356 ft)
Skiable area: 24.4 ha (60 acres)
Runs: 23 total
22% beginner
61% intermediate
17% expert
Longest run: 1.6 km (1 mile)
Lift system: 5 total
3 double chairlifts
1 rope tow
1 magic carpet
Snowfall: 800 cm (26.5 ft)
Web site: Mt. Seymour

Mount Seymour is a mountain located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a part of the North Shore Mountains, rising to the north from the shores of Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm to a summit of 1449 metres above the Indian River and Deep Cove neighbourhoods. Mount Seymour is most commonly identified for its ski area of the same name. It is named in honour of Frederick Seymour, second governor of the Colony of British Columbia.

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[edit] History

The mountain opened for skiing in 1937 under the ownership of Harold Enquist, with a cafeteria and ski rental. A few years later, in 1949, the Government of British Columbia bought the ski area. The Government did not have the experience to run a ski area, so, they issued Mr. Enquist the first Park Use Permit to operate the area. When the permit expired in 1951, the government found a concessionaire, who was put in charge of running the lifts, ski school and cafeteria. The government retained overall ownership until 1984, when it privatized its operation as part of a cost cutting measure.

[edit] Facilities

The Mount Seymour ski area has four lifts, the Mystery Peak, Brockton, and Lodge double chairlifts, and the Goldie Lake Ropetow. A fourth double chairlift, the Ridge Chair was destroyed in a windstorm in 1998, and is currently still standing, though gradually rotting away. Another beginner lift, the Enquist Ropetow was removed in the early 1990s. The area offers 330 metres of vertical drop and 1700 centimetres of annual snowfall. Skiing and snowboarding is available on 21 marked trails and many unmarked routes. The longest trail is 1.6 km long and over half the trails have night lighting. Additional terrain parks exist for freestyle and halfpipe activities. Terrain has also been developed for snowtubing and tobogganing.

Guided and unguided snowshoeing takes place on a separate 10 km network of maintained trails. Backcountry access for snowshoeing and camping is permitted.

Mount Seymour's Enquist Cabin, located in the Tube Park Parking Lot was destroyed in a fire in the late spring of 2005. The cabin was available for rental and was the home of the Mount Seymour Ski Club.

[edit] Snow depth

Mount Seymour has three weather stations: one at the bottom of the Mystery Peak Chairlift, one near tower 9 of the Mystery Peak Chairlift, and one just below Brockton Point which is the top lift station of the Brockton Chairlift. Except for the unusually warm winter of 2004-2005, there is usually a snow depth of 500 cm or more at the Brockton weather station.

BCRFC historical records (from 1960 to 1989) report that Mount Seymour's average snow base has been 160 cm on January 1st, increasing through winter and spring to 345 cm on May 1st.[1]

[edit] Broadcasting

The following Vancouver-area broadcasters have their transmitters atop Mount Seymour [2]:

[edit] FM stations

[edit] TV stations

[edit] See also

[edit] External links